𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞: holding onto us

Chapter-1

A girl in her 5'3,  was peeking through her door, only to gaze on the man who was now her husband.

Tara blinked her eyes innocently, as she observed her husband sitting with the family friends in the living room of the grand mansion. Her heart was racing at an erratic rate uncontrollably and a shy smile spread across her face as she closed the door gently.

As she entered the room, she giggled looking at the huge room inside. The room was dark, painted in dark blue walls with a touch of grey. A massive portrait of him, the biggest picture she would have seen in her life, dominated the wall above the bed.

In the photo, He wore a tuxedo with a black bow tie around his neck, his hand resting on a chair, head bowed, eyes closed and lips slightly parted. His hair framed his forehead perfectly.

She stared at the big picture, with red blushing cheeks. After all, he was her husband. Her gaze wandered around the room. It exuded a dark, ruthless aura, much like him.

The room spoke of luxury. From the elegant table to the sofa, everything looked so dreamy and beautiful.

Her eyes sparkled with wonder and curiosity. She approached another door that opened up into the balcony. The balcony had everything that she had ever imagined. A small bed nestled the corner, lights strung inside bottles adoring the ceiling of the balcony, and a glass door enclosing the small space.

On the other side of it, there was a swing covered in a white knitted fabric. She just knew that it would quickly become her favourite spot.  She smiled widely, looking up at the moon.

Today was Purnima, the full moon night, and according to pandit ji, it was the most auspicious day.

She remembered how every tradition had signalled that she was going to be immensely loved by her husband. From the kundli matching, to the falling of sindur on her nose, everything marked the beginning of her life filled with love.

When she first met Reyaansh, all she could think was only him. He had never looked at her, but she assumed maybe because they met in the presence of the family. Just after the marriage was fixed, a roka and a small engagement ceremony took place in the village itself.

She recalled how tiny she felt standing beside him. His hands were so enormous when he placed them over hers during the rituals.

She was happy to think that she would finally be loved by him. She was no longer going to be entrapped and be a subject to daily taunts that had no love. A smile had been on her face throughout the time.

Perhaps, this was the reward for her kindness over nineteen years. Closing the balcony door, she walked slowly towards the bedroom, because of her heavy lehenga, when she heard the clicking sound of the door opening.

She frowned as her heart began pounding hard. How was she going to face him? What was she going to talk with him? What would their first conversation be like?

She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the door closing again. She looked up and  saw him entering another door and disappearing from view.

Her mind was already dizzy seeing four doors in the same room. She sat on the bed, not knowing what to do next. Her luggage hadn't arrived. She had nothing to change into. How was she supposed to change? She felt so itchy and uncomfortable in the heavy embroidered lehenga.

Reyaansh sat in the living room, extremely bored and irritated by the endless talk of the day. All he wanted was escape from the sherwani he wore, wishing he could throw it out of the window if his mother would allow it.

It felt so suffocating, now that he was married. It seemed as though all his freedoms were stripped away. He had a wife who would likely nag and demand things from him. He got a wife who would demand so many things from him. After all, she was just a village girl who had seen nothing at all in her life.